Dark Ambtitions
by Rayvin
Summary: Drizzt turns to the evil ways of his people, and the dark ambitions of Matron Malice...


Chapter 1: House Wars  
  
House Do'Urdens main complex was set in the western mantle of the city. The majority of the compound housed in a cave. This was home to over five hundred dark elves, and thrice that number of thralls, all with swearing fealty to Daermon N'a'shezbaernon. The castle was made up of five stalagmites and twice that number of stalactites. Surrounding the entirety of the complex was a large, adamantine fence, decorated with One Hundred weapon-wielding spiders, and it was the envy of many drow houses. House Do'Urdens was only the eight house of Menzoberranzan, but few houses in the council of ruling houses, the first eight houses, could match it in power. It boasted four high priestesses, two of which served as matrons-mistresses of arach-tinilith, the spider shaped school of Lolth. Two masters of melee- magthere, the pyramidal school of fighters. One of the masters also served as the house weapon master, Drizzt Do'Urden, most undoubtedly the finest warrior, male or female, in all of Menzoberranzan.  
  
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Social station is the most important thing in the world of the drow. Ascension to greater power is the ultimate goal in drow society. Assassination is the preferred tool in this job. It must be used discreetly in the city setting, for to openly murder or wage war (on a rival House) brings down the merciless might of drow justice (not because of the act itself, simply as punishment for the boorish act of fighting in public).  
  
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The anxious weapon master paced around the anteroom entrance, waiting to be summoned by his mother. No, he thought to himself, his matron, he corrected; for the wicked snack-headed whip of a high priestess often punished such mistakes. This was the city of Lolth, Of the spider queen, the city of the drow; the dark elves, this, was Menzoberranzan. And he was but a male, in a strictly matriarchal society, but woe to the creature who reminded him of this, for they would surely face the wrath of the scimitars of Drizzt Do'Urden, Weapon master of Daermon N'a'shezbaernon, House Do'Urden, Eighth house of Menzoberranzan. Drizzt Do'Urden, whose father, Zaknafien, was given to the spider queen to forgive him, and his sacrilegious ways had made Drizzt take a turn for the worst, as he now openly embraced the spider queen and the evil ways of his people.  
  
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"Let your brother in already!" Malice spat at Drizzt's youngest sister, Maya. Maya, who knew the open threat behind her mother's words acted swiftly, as she approached the door it swung wide, open, as she announced that Matron Malice was ready to see him. Drizzt made his way tentatively towards Malice; bowing low he said, "To what do I owe the pleasure, Matron Malice?" Malice, already accustomed to Drizzt's swagger, did not punish the impotent male. "House Xorlarrin has fallen out of Lolth's favor," she said simply, naming the Fourth house of Menzoberranzan, one that produced rare, female wizards. and only then did Drizzt note his oldest sister, Briza, and his Older brother, Dinnin standing behind Matron Malice's black throne. Suddenly Drizzt tensed, not knowing what his mother would say to him, as Drizzt had just been made a master at Melee-Magthere, the school of fighters. Hesitating only slightly, Drizzt dared ask, "Surely some lesser house, farther down the hierarchy will take advantage of their weakness. House Do'Urden need'nt get involved." Malice slapped Drizzt hard, the lingering heat showing clearly through the dark elves infravision. "I will forgive you for your stupidity this time, my son." she was quick to add "House Xorlarrin is a formidable house. Fourth in all the city. But the power house Do'Urden stands to gain from their demise outweighs the risk." Drizzt only shrugged at the truth in her words, House Do'Urden; Seventh house of Menzoberranzan. How he liked the sound of that! "You are to see what information you can find, what weaknesses Xorlarrin has in its defenses, and most importantly, you must be rid of Brack'thal Xorlarrin. a mage of no small power, and favored son of Matron Zeerith . He keeps a rather large castle in Ched Nasad. He usually over- sees the trading between House Xorlarrin, but it is likely he has now cut himself off from the city, awaiting the call of Zeerith before he returns home." Drizzt understood his mission and its importance. There was a lack of magic users in house Do'Urden, the strongest being Rizzen, Current patron of Matron Malice; with Rizzen as their only defense against magic, the prospect of going up against a House such as Xorlarrin with a mage such as Brack'thal was unnerving indeed!  
  
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Drizzt was on his way out of the house to give a proper excuse at melee- magthere to throw off any possible suspicions that there might be a conflict brewing between house Do'Urden and house Xorlarrin, when he was confronted by his sister Vierna, his sister; and a high priestess of Lolth, his hands instinctively dropped to the hilts of his scimitars. "Matron Malice says that you must complete the deed by 50 cycles of Narbondel" Narbondel is the large Stalactite mound which served as a clock to all the drow city, for every day the arch mage of the city would cast his lingering heat spell into the pillar, which slowly worked its way up, then down the great mound of stone making it visible to all the drow. "I will not fail" Drizzt said determined to carry out his mission, and began to walk away when his sister called out to him; "For the glory of House Do'Urden!"  
  
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Well this is my first Drizzt fanfic. The scenario im going for is that Drizzt is one evil dark elf, please be kind ^^;;;....  
  
Chapter 2 will be up tomorrow. I think you guys will find it exciting, and informational, because I will include more about the drow, and their society... ^_^  
  
Comments? Email me at: Johnniequest1@cs.com 


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